The Judiciary in the Long TermTogether, four Judiciary employees served Maryland for close to two centuries

The state of Maryland has been faithfully served by
many Judiciary employees who devote years to public
service. It is amazing to add up the years of service
by long-termers. Here are quick tributes to four who,
collectively, worked for the Judiciary for more than 180
years before retiring recently.

Billy Allen

Billy Allen

In January, Baltimore County Circuit Court Chief
Deputy Clerk Billy Allen retired after 56 years as the
Judiciary’s longest-serving employee.

“What strikes me is that I was a law clerk in 1964 –
and I’ve been around a long time – but Billy Allen was
a veteran then and his 56 years makes my time look like
nothing. His dedication is tremendous,” said Baltimore
County Circuit
Administrative
Judge John
Turnbull, II.

Allen began
his Judiciary
career as a utility
clerk earning
eight dollars per
day. He started
the job shortly
after graduating
from Milford
Mill High School
in Baltimore
County. Allen,
who served under
eight Clerks of
the Court, said, “Everything you do affects people’s lives.
The information must be accurate and filed in a timely
manner. I’ve taken my job very seriously and enjoyed
helping people and learning something new each and
every day.”

Bernice Bernstein

Bernice Bernstein

The Maryland State Law Library recently said
farewell to two long-term employees. Acquisitions
Librarian Bernice Bernstein exited in February after 45-
plus years.

When she joined the then-named Maryland State
Library in June 1966 as an assistant librarian, Bernstein
planned to stay five years, max. Little did she know she
would stay 40 years more than that original plan.

Bernstein started her job the same year the Court
of Special Appeals was established. She has worked
under three Library
directors, seen several
former law clerks
become judges,
and helped with
one major Library
move and several
renovation upheavals,
not to mention the
introduction and
growth of computer
technology. “The
Library’s collection
had consisted of
print, microfilm and
microfiche,” Bernstein said. “My entire operation went
from a manual system to a much more sophisticated
system allowing faster input of information and a
quicker response to inquiries, all of which was a plus.”

Over 45 years, Bernstein amassed her own ‘library’
of special memories, but says that the highlight of her
career was being nominated by Court of Special Appeals
Judge Arrie W. Davis for the Daily Record’s Unsung
Legal Heroes awards program and receiving the award
in 2008.

Dee Van Nest

Dee Van Nest

Dee Van Nest, who retired in April, began her tenure
with the Maryland State Law Library in April 1972, just
in time for its move from downtown Annapolis to the
new Courts of Appeal building.

Barely four months after her arrival, in August 1972,
the Library, along with the Court, moved from the old
Court of Appeals building in downtown Annapolis (on
the site of the current Department of Legislative Services
building) to the current location on Rowe Boulevard. Van
Nest designed the organizational system to move all of
the books, with the help of a phalanx of college students.

Over her four decades, there have been many
changes in how the Library looks, functions and serves
its customers. Like Bernstein, Van Nest remembers
the Library as a place people visited often. She knew
most of the appellate
judges, law clerks
and local attorneys
by sight as well as
by name. Today, she
says, most of the
Library’s patrons call
or email for assistance
rather than coming
in person. She misses
those face-to-face
interactions, though
she admits much of
the technology is more
convenient for users.

“The best part of the job has been the intellectual
challenge. It’s never boring,” Van Nest said. “No matter
how long you work in a law library, you will always
encounter a question that you have never researched.
What could be better than that?”

Dixie Scholtes

Dixie Scholtes

District 11’s Administrative Clerk Dixie Scholtes
retired just shy of her 40th anniversary with the District
Court of Maryland.

“We grew up together, the District Court and I,”
Scholtes said. It’s true: The District Court of Maryland
began operating in July 1971, and Scholtes started
working for the District Court one month later, in August
1971.

She started as
a courtroom clerk
in Ocean City and
Snow Hill, and
in 1977, moved
to the Frederick
County District
Court as a clerk.
Scholtes became
administrative
clerk for District
11, which includes
Frederick and
Washington
counties, in 1978, and held that position for 33 years until
her recent retirement.

Considering that District 11 didn’t even have an
electric typewriter when Scholtes started, she considers
the development of computer systems to process and
manage daily filings to be one of the greatest changes
during her career. During her tenure, she helped with the
establishment of supervisors and lead workers, and was
also involved in the planning, building and opening of
new buildings.

“I have been blessed with almost 40 years at a job
that I have truly enjoyed and I am thankful for the
opportunity to serve the Maryland Judiciary,” Scholtes
said. “I do look forward to a new chapter of doing new
and exciting things, knowing Sara Snyder, the new
administrative clerk, will make District 11 even better
than it is today.”